|
Termyn8or -> RE: Tower of Babel (4/3/2007 7:54:25 PM)
|
That is a very tall subject k.
Let me preface to say that I am self educated and I studied psychology before they fucked it all up.And I did it young and have alot of life experience upon which to build my theories.
To get into a cursory explanaition of intelligence as it relates to language we must explore a few major points.
First I would like to bring up the concept of mathematics without numbers. We use the base 10 Arabic system of numerals. This was never the perfect solution, but it beat Roman numerals by far.
To understand a mathematical relatioship does not require numbers. Numbers are merely the expression of the idea. When this goes up that goes down, and so forth. But we don't have to explore the orbits of planets and all that to get a viable example, thus I give this one :
When you are cutting a pie, cake, pizza whatever into equal pieces, you are using math without numbers. If you want eight pieces you pretty much eyeball a right angle, then go betweeen. If you want six pieces the math is a bit more complex, you have to imagine that third cut. But numbers are not needed for such an operation, and wouldn't even help really, except for the one issue of the desired amount of pieces. Another issue is that in the US system of measurements, based on 12 and 3 units, and then fractional subunits makes calculating thirds a breeze. It simply cannot come out right in the decimal (base 10) system.
Applying the same logic to language, it is first necessary to make the distinction between the written and the spoken. Many many people in the US have some serious cognitive disabilities with regard to language, but these are generally accepted and not dealt with.
For example, people who move their lips when they read. They think in the spoken word sense because they are not all that comfortable with the written word. I postulate that this is because they were not taught to read at an early enough age.
It is not that these people do not get ideas, even very good ideas, but they are poor at expressing those ideas.
There are, as I see it two major categories. There is a fairly good contingent of the US population that would rather never see a pen, other than to sign their paycheck. You'll not find many of those on a forum such as this, they are more apt to be spotted on a cellphone. Some people can't type anything but their password and a few quick lines on a dating site, then they need to take it to the telephone. They struggle with each word.
They still think phonetically. You'll find them using "netspeak" ad nauseum and will generally produce very short messages, if they do at all.
Thinking phonetically, they can miss things when they read, their comprehension is compromised, but not all that badly. But when they go to type, they are very hard to understand. For some reason these people do not learn by example, that is learn to write by reading. I did, but I read alot earlier in life than most.
Then there is another subset of our wonderful biomass. Pretty much in the same category, but challenged slightly differently. Those who, for example, use the word 'license' as plural. You will hear them, like after they got too many tickets or a DUI or something, talking about their driver's license they will say "I can't get THEM back until _______".
That is a different twist and I think it runs in certain races. This may well be because of the intrinsic differences between US English and the language of their immigrant ancestors. These effects I think, can span generations, and I don't use them as a guage of peoples' intelligence.
When I cast my eye and judge someone's intelligence after what they have written or said, I give very little negative weight to certain grammatical errors. But I do assign a significant positive weight to proper expression.
If there is a reason for one to become associated with me I can teach well enough so that they properly refer to a license in the singular. I can get them you watch and make sure they type your when they mean your, instead of you. I am strong enough to break people of the 'me and them', and into 'they and I'. And they will be the better for it. They will appreciate it on their next job interview at the very least.Acytually some people I meet might never go on a job interview again. Two buddies of mine I just hooked up with the jobs of their lives. I say one is going to make about $60,000 this year and the other about $140,000. But that wasn't the point. When they deal with anyone who is properly educated, that person will judge them on their diction, choice of words, and grammar. Some might not, but many will.
So logically it behooves me to attempt to use language as accurately as possible to avoid negative weight given to some of those who judge me. Of course I am not poerfect at it, but I try.
I will now expect most to know that data is plural. You say 'data are' not 'data is'. In mechanichal engineering, datum points are applied to drawings to align them when they had multiple layers, of like transparencies for example. When all the DATUM points are aligned, the next process can begin. This is mainly used in printing, and I mean whether it is a colored cartoon in a newspaper, the production of a printed PC board or the manufacture of IC chips. It is all the same thing. Well referring to all the datum points on said transparencies together it properly done by 'data are'. Not 'data is'.
But I do not expect the commoner to know that.
Remember a movie, really old, in which a human astronaut is on a planet and there is a mining operation going on, and one of the slaves escapes. In time he cuts the guys cuffs off and they do try to talk. with a stick in the sand, gesture and whatever else luck they had, they learned enough to communicate, at least basically.
We got a Russian guy on LMU, and his English is terrible. But then there is another Russian guy who says that this guy's Russian is terrible as well. Why would that surprise me ? Some people just don't get it, and even with the current, strong indications, I can assume all the people who don't get it are in the US.
Now get this, criticism of this user's poor English is kepot in check, monitored, not allowed to get nasty. Some have said "Why don't you Americans try a foreign language website, see how well you do !".
I agree.
Now I refuse to connote anything supernatural to the tower of Babel myth. Although alot of myth has it's basis in fact, I think there has been a bit of an interpretation difficulty here. What I think happened is that the people scattered, exploring, see what you can find, can you find any land we can go live on ? So they get together so many years later and what has happened is that the explorers met other peoples.
In learning to communicate with these people they learned some of the others' lingos, and actually used some of it. Later, living closely with these other peoples they started taking on their inflections, even slang. Even starting from a common language, one must realize that language is fluid.
Now when you have a document like the US Constitution, of course it should be read in it's language. Too bad that ain't how it is.
Ain't became a word somewhere back in the 70s. It is a non-discriminatory substitute for 'are not' or 'am not'. Ain't does not specifyu singular or plural. and there are times when it is competely appropriate. I won't bore you with examples.
Think of this, a horrid thought on it's face, but interesting. What if you wound up in a foreign prison where nobody spoke your language ?
Yes, and the US is frought with yet another disadvantage. In a world where children in other countries are routinely taught 2 or 3 languages, it seems we have trouble teaching one.
One Man's opinion.
T
|
|
|
|
